Ukrainian refugees in Russia may total 300,000 by yearend

June 30, 2014, 18:50 UTC+3HARBIN (China)“We presume they will be accommodated in border areas, in Central Russia as people have the right to choose their place of living,” Russian Regional Development Minister says

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Refugee camp in Russia's Rostov Region

HARBIN, June 30./ITAR-TASS/. The number of Ukrainians arriving in Russia from the war-torn southeast Ukraine may reach 300,000 by the end of this year, Russian Regional Development Minister Igor Slyunyayev said on Monday.

Russia is carrying out active work to resolve issues related to the influx of refugees from Ukraine, the minister said.

“While staying here in the People’s Republic of China, we have received a number of instructions on the accommodation and adaptation of refugees,” Slyunyayev said, adding the refugee situation was complex.

“First of all, this is because the so-called humanitarian corridor (in Ukraine) is closed and does not work and, secondly, not all the refugees want to receive the official (refugee) status and it so turns out that people staying legitimately on the territory of Russia do not have this status,” he said.

“We expect the total number of migrants from Ukraine to Russia to reach about 300,000 by the end of this year,” the minister said.

“We presume they will be accommodated in border areas, in Central Russia as people have the right to choose their place of living,” the minister said, adding that the refugee situation in Russia was under control.

Ukrainians continue fleeing the war-torn Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine where the Ukrainian military, units of the ‘national guard’ and squads of the Right Sector ultra-rightwing nationalists are conducting a dragged-out military operation against the people demanding federalization of the country and greater rights for the native speakers of the Russian language.